World Soccer Discuss author Ismail Ansar joins us for the 2024/25 Bundesliga preview. It’s a season that holds a lot promise after what occurred final season.
In years earlier than the brilliance of Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen facet gained the Bundesliga final season, Bayern Munich had a vice-like grip on the German league for over a decade. Bayern had gained 11 league titles in a row.
That quantity has been matched or surpassed by simply six different groups all through the historical past of European top-flight soccer. Croatian facet Dinamo Zagreb has matched the 11-in-a-row achievement, whereas Bulgarian facet Ludogorets, Belarusian membership BATE Borisov, and Norwegian outfit Rosenborg have all surpassed it by successful their respective divisions 13 instances in a row at one level. In the meantime, Lincoln Purple Imps of the Gibraltar Nationwide League and the now-defunct Latvian membership Skonto Riga have each gained 14 consecutive titles of their respective nations.
Bayern Munich meets Bayer Leverkusen
Regardless of Bayern Munich’s 11 Bundesliga titles in a row, empires finally all the time fall. Whether or not that be on account of being conquered by a more recent and extra highly effective enemy, the empire’s financial well being nosediving, or inside battle, change all the time occurs. Final yr we noticed that with Bayer Leverkusen’s unimaginable season. On the similar time, Bayern’s fall additionally got here on the hand of well-documented inside battle among the many membership’s hierarchy, alongside years of spending massive sums of cash on celebrity signings which have left different areas of the squad in want of consideration.
Following Bayer Leverkusen’s title win final yr, can Xabi Alonso’s staff kickstart what may very well be a contemporary dynasty by claiming a second league title win this season, or will they endure a destiny much like that of Wolfsburg, Werder Bremen, and Kaiserslautern – all golf equipment who’ve pipped Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title inside the final 30 years, solely to endure declining fortunes within the aftermath?
With the addition of a brand new supervisor (Vincent Kompany) and new gamers on the Allianz Enviornment, the inevitable duel for the title between these two golf equipment is essentially the most notable in a sequence of compelling storylines and narratives heading into the 62nd version of top-flight German soccer.
Bundesliga preview: Can Leverkusen retain its crown?
Bayer Leverkusen makes the brief journey to play Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday within the opening sport of the season (stay on ESPN+ and ESPN2). Final season, Leverkusen picked up a potential 4 out of six factors in opposition to Friday’s opponents, finally ending 56 factors forward of Monchengladbach. Gladbach completed in a extremely regarding 14th place.
Like practically all title-winning groups, one of many tenets of repeating the feat is retaining the core squad collectively. Leverkusen have accomplished so by managing to maintain Alonso on the membership, which is arguably a very powerful transfer they’ve made this summer season. However they’ve additionally accomplished the identical with their taking part in squad. Key males similar to Alex Grimaldo, Granit Xhaka, Florian Wirtz, and Victor Boniface are all nonetheless on the BayArena. However the additions of younger defender Jeanuel Belocian and goalscorer Martin Terrier from Rennes will enhance an already robust facet.
That notion of a robust facet was additional supported by Leverkusen’s displaying within the Supercup final weekend, with Alonso’s males triumphing over Stuttgart on penalties after a late Patrik Schick equalizer. It helped Leverkusen on their approach to a 3rd piece of silverware underneath Alonso’s tenure.
Leverkusen’s capability to dig themselves out of a gap with a late aim was one thing that audiences grew to become accustomed to, and perhaps even anticipating, throughout final season. It’s an asset which will should be reproduced once more this marketing campaign if there’s any probability of one other title.
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Contains: Bundesliga, LaLiga, FA Cup, & Extra
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Can the king reclaim his throne?
Bayern Munich is German royalty, however how do they go about regaining their place on the high?
Vincent Kompany’s appointment has been supplemented by the additions of latest gamers to the squad. A few of that purchasing was accomplished within the Premier League within the type of Fulham’s Joao Palhinha and Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise. They’ve additionally accomplished their customary purchasing at fellow Bundesliga golf equipment, taking defender Hiroki Ito from 2023/24 runners-up Stuttgart.
Bayern journey to Wolfsburg on Sunday, seeking to lay down their marker to any potential title rivals.
Bayern Munich will first meet Leverkusen on September 28 on the Allianz Enviornment, with the return sport on the BayArena scheduled for February 15. These are arguably two of, if not, a very powerful home video games for Kompany in a season that may require him to be at his greatest to deliver silverware again to the membership.
Elsewhere throughout Germany
There are a plethora of different fascinating storylines and narratives additional down the league and within the furthest corners of Germany.
The membership that the majority ceaselessly involves thoughts after Bayern is Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund have considerably undergone their metamorphosis this summer season, seeing membership legend Marcos Reus and Mats Hummels depart alongside supervisor Edin Terzic. Membership legend Nuri Sahin takes the reins from Terzic, whereas the additions of Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier (who completed 2nd and fifth within the scoring charts final season), and Brighton’s Pascal Gross might see Dortmund mount a critical push to interrupt into the highest three.
In the meantime, how will Stuttgart fare after their 2nd-place end final season, with Die Schwaben now having to contend life with out final season’s hero Serhou Guirassy?
Might RB Leipzig, who’ve by no means completed decrease than sixth throughout their time within the Bundesliga, make a shock push for the title?
Can perennial top-four outsiders Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt break into it this yr?
Bundesliga preview: Minnows and hipsters
Will minnows Heidenheim, who secured a surprising Eighth-place end of their debut Bundesliga marketing campaign, endure the dreaded second-season syndrome?
How will newly-promoted Holstein Kiel, who holds the title of the northernmost membership to have ever performed within the Bundesliga, get on of their debut season – can they repeat the heroic feats of Heidenheim by securing security simply, or will they go straight again down?
And at last in our Bundesliga preview, for the hipsters, the return of cult membership St. Pauli to the highest flight after a 13-year absence will likely be one to keep watch over.
Picture: IMAGO / Steinach
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